Laurier researcher Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy awarded Carnegie Fellowship to mentor doctoral students in Ghana

May 11, 2022

During the month of April 2022, Magnus Mfoafo-M’Carthy took his teaching skills on the road and put them to use in his home country of Ghana. An associate professor of Social Work at Wilfrid Laurier University, Mfoafo-M’Carthy travelled to Accra, Ghana to mentor doctoral students at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, helping them develop and refine their research skills.

Mfoafo-M’Carthy’s trip was made possible by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He was awarded funding through its Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program, which enables African institutions to host an African-born scholar to work on projects involving research collaboration, graduate student mentorship and curriculum co-development. 

Born and raised in Ghana, Mfoafo-M’Carthy has cultivated research partnerships there to address issues of inclusive education and disability, as well as stigma surrounding mental illness. 

What was the focus of your time in Ghana?

"The focus of the fellowship is to strengthen collaboration with colleagues at Ghanaian universities on capacity-building education projects. I was able to teach and train young researchers in Ghana to realize the importance of research and advocate for change through policy."

What was it like to return to your home country in the context of COVID-19?

"I felt mixed emotions. I was excited and certainly looked forward to continuing my research in Ghana. On the other hand, returning to Ghana was a reminder of the losses in my life within the past two years. It gave me the opportunity to bring closure to my mother and sister's passing."

How does this program contribute positively to African nations?

"The intent is to establish ​relationships with academics in the diaspora to share their knowledge and expertise with tertiary institutions and students in the Global South."

How did it feel to be selected for this fellowship?

"Exhilarating. I felt validated and appreciated for all of my hard work and commitment to research in Africa. Being selected to contribute to knowledge production in Ghana is gratifying."